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Will Google’s New feature Eliminate the need for long tailed Keywords?

by Tug Agency | 10.09.2010
By now you must of heard or seen the new feature Google have introduced, “Google Instant”. If you haven’t, here is a brief description; the new feature will predict what your search query is going to be after just a few letters typed in. It also shows the most relevant search results underneath straight away without you even needing to click the search button. So, search results as you type… Great time saver hey?

Well, although this is a great time saver and a very impressive feature from the masterminds at Google HQ. After doing a bit of research and reading a few blogs around the web, I can report that there is a general sense of worry from paid search marketers.

The worry is very much a realistic concern about how effective the long tailed Keyword will continue to be, now that Google Instant has been introduced. For example, take a look at this screen-shot taken from www.searchengineland.com:

So from this screenshot you can see that after typing in just the letters “las” you instantly get search results showing Ad’s for Las Vegas Hotels, Las Vegas Holidays, Las Vegas Travel Deals and etc. Therefore, if the user’s original search query they were thinking of was “Las Vegas 5 Star Hotel”, before Google Instant was introduced they would have had to type in this long tailed keyword to make sure they get the most relevant return of search query results… But now, you only have to type in “las” to get the same results without even having to click the search button!

So based on this research, it looks as though there is about to be a whole new wave of competitors bidding for generic and broad keywords to make sure they are appearing on the 1st page of Google and ultimately putting more money in to Google’s pocket.

I guess all we can do now is wait to see how long the lifespan of the long tailed Keyword is going to last. But what we can be sure on, as the great Bob Dylan has sang on so many occasions; “The Times They Are a-Changin”.